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Biography information for Lord Bates

max answer › date of answer

2014-10-28

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<p>In each quarter of the 2013/14 financial year, 15 of the 17 departments taking
part in the Quarterly Data Summary process have provided all of the information requested.
In quarter 3, the most recent quarter for which data is available, average completion
was 96%.</p><p> </p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Quarterly Data Summary for any department
does not include the data compared (1) to budget, (2) to the same period in the previous
year, and (3) to the end of year target.

<p>In each quarter of the 2013/14 financial year, 15 of the 17 departments taking
part in the Quarterly Data Summary process have provided all of the information requested.
In quarter 3, the most recent quarter for which data is available, average completion
was 96%.</p><p> </p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made towards preparing the
Cabinet Office's Precedent Book for declassification; and whether a target date can
be set and announced for its release at the National Archives.

<p> </p><p>The government has announced that five national organisations and all 363
local authorities and valuation joint boards in Great Britain are sharing £4.2 million
funding to promote voter registration amongst under registered groups, which includes
young people.</p><p>The Cabinet Office has also written to electoral registration
officers encouraging them to use this funding to support the delivery of Rock Enrol!,
a learning resource which provides an opportunity for young people to register to
vote and enables them to discuss the importance of doing so.</p><p> </p>

<p>The introduction of Individual Electoral Registration will enable online registration
for the first time and will make the process of registering to vote more convenient
for electors, including students.</p><p>The new national curriculum for teaching from
2014 includes an improved programme of study for citizenship education. At key stage
4 pupils will be taught about democratic participation and how to influence decisions
locally, nationally and beyond.</p><p>The Cabinet Office has also made available Rock
Enrol!; a free learning resource which not only provides an opportunity for young
people to register to vote, but enables them to discuss the importance of doing so.</p><p>
</p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the date of the electoral register to
be the basis of the 2018 review of United Kingdom parliamentary constituencies by
the Boundary Commissions, under the provisions of the Parliamentary Voting System
and Constituencies Act 2011.

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether 16 and 17 year olds registered to vote in
Scotland for the referendum on the future of the United Kingdom will automatically
be registered to vote in United Kingdom elections at their 18th birthday.

<p>There is no provision in UK electoral registration legislation for those who are
included on the Register of Young Voters, which was created specifically for the referendum
by Act of the Scottish Parliament, to be automatically included in the register of
electors for those elections for which the UK Parliament has competence.</p><p>Electoral
Registration Officers will be conducting a full Household Enquiry canvass every summer
from 2015. Provided that they are eligible, young people who appeared on the Register
of Young Voters will be captured by the canvass and invited to register under Individual
Electoral Registration.</p><p> </p><p> </p>

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications
for future elections and referendums to be held in the United Kingdom of the relative
voting rights in the Scottish independence referendum of (1) electors resident overseas
but formerly resident in a Scottish parliamentary constituency, and (2) electors resident
in England, Wales or Northern Ireland but registered in a Scottish parliamentary constituency
within the last 15 years.

<p> </p><p>The Government plays no direct role in the provision of student residential
accommodation, nor does it specifically fund universities to provide such accommodation.
As such, this is not an area where the Government can intervene.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>However, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and private providers of ‘halls
of residence’ type accommodation are required to belong to one of two Codes of Practice.
These are the Student Accommodation Code <a href="http://www.thesac.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.thesac.org.uk/</a></p><p>
</p><p>and the Accreditation Network UK <a href="http://www.anuk.org.uk/aboutus/aboutus.asp"
target="_blank">http://www.anuk.org.uk/aboutus/aboutus.asp</a>.</p><p> </p><p>These
Codes of Practice protect students’ rights to safe, good quality accommodation, wherever
they are studying. They outline what students can expect from their accommodation
as well as their responsibilities as tenants.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Some other
private providers offer student accommodation, off campus, on the basis of an Assured
Shorthold Tenancy (AST). For students in these properties, rents would be set by the
landlord at the market rent achievable for that type of accommodation. Under Section
22 of the Housing Act 1988, if an AST tenant considers the rent to be excessive, he
or she could apply to the first tier tribunal for a determination of the rent. Given
these protections, Government has no plans to act in this area.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>In addition, since 2012, the Key Information Set includes information on the
average cost of accommodation for each HEI. This is available via the national Unistats
website: <a href="https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://unistats.direct.gov.uk/</a></p><p>
</p><p><br> <br></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger
of Leckie on 3 July (WA 280), what plans they have to expand the authority of the
Office of the Independent Adjudicator to include considerations of academic judgment
or to establish an alternative official body to do so.

<p> </p><p>We have no such plans. The 2004 Higher Education Act precludes the Office
of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education from considering complaints about
a university’s academic judgement.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Higher Education
system in England is based on the key principles of institutional autonomy and academic
freedom. Both are essential to foster a strong Higher Education sector that can shape
its own future in response to the needs of learners and employers.</p><p> </p><p>As
such matters relating to academic judgement are the responsibility of individual higher
education institutions. The interpretation of academic judgement is ultimately for
the courts to decide.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>